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Day 95 Tongariro
Our alarm went off at 6:30am and we were up straight away running round getting ready for our first serious walk since Yosemite seven weeks ago. We gulped down breakfast and quickly packed the van up in order to drive less than 500 metres so we could leave it in the Visitor's Centre car park for the duration of the walk. We arrived bang on 7:30 and saw the shuttle waiting on the road. We grabbed our bags and locked up the van and walked the 10 feet to the road to find the bus had gone. A very desperate sinking feeling descended over me as I wondered if we had missed our ride and would have to miss the walk. We frantically rang the shuttle company and on the third attempt someone answered and vowed to try and contact the driver. Just as we hung up we saw the bus travelling back up the road and I cannot describe the relief we both felt! The driver had gone to the other pick up point to collect more walkers and was coming back for us all along. Why she didn't wait when she saw us pull in to the car park I do not know!
We travelled for twenty minutes to the start of the walk. The bus was very quiet but full. Visibility was very poor with low clouds, mist and drizzle but we were told this is how yesterday started and the Sun eventually burnt through by late morning, and it was forecast to do the same today.
We got off the bus and did some warm up stretches before setting off on our 19.4 kilometre hike, leaving before the main bus from Taupo arrived. We walked at a reasonable pace, with no one overtaking us until we came to Soda Springs where we had a quick fuel stop and munched on a banana before tackling Devil's Staircase. Snow was starting to appear and as we climbed higher the ground became more covered and in some places the path was under the white stuff and we had to take care not to slip as it was very icy. Visibility was still very poor and we had one short but sharp shower and a bit of drizzle. About three quarters of the way up the cloud suddenly cleared and we were treated to a small patch of blue sky but the best thing was that we could see where we had come from, but not quite where we were going to. Dan just managed to take a couple of photos before the mist and cloud descended again and if it wasn't for the photographic evidence we would be left wondering if it was a figment of our imagination!
Ever since Vancouver walks will always be graded according to the Grouse Grind, which has to be the steepest climb either of us have ever completed. Devil's staircase was laughable in comparison! It was tough going but nothing like as difficult as G.G. and we only needed to take a couple of breathers before reaching the top and entering the South Crater. By now we had covered seven kilometres in 90 minutes.
Here climbers were given the option of taking one of the side walks up to Mt Ngauruhoe the active volcano, which last erupted in 1977. This track was not marked, was covered in snow and not advisable to climb without ice picks and crampons. We gave that one a miss! We crossed the crater, which was covered in snow and found ourselves at the bottom of another steep climb. This was a bit different as the terrain was loose and unstable and the wind suddenly picked up. It was a bit hairy at times and the intermittent patches of snow and ice certainly didn't help. We had to stop a couple of times and take respite from the wind behind big volcanic rocks. I wouldn't like to be caught up here in a storm. The path took us along a tight ridge with steep drops either side. One sharp gust that took you unaware and ...... However, we made it it to top and onto the Red Crater which was the highest point of the crossing at 1886 metres. On clear days you can see Mount Taranaki to the West, Lake Taupo to the North and the ocean to the East. We could see cloud, cloud and more cloud! This was an actual volcanic crater and as we crossed through the snow we were walking beside another volcano (Mt Tongariro), which we couldn't see! We'd been told that if you sat on the rocks on the crater you would warm your bum from the volcanic activity happening below, if I sat on the crater today my trousers would have been even more soaked than they were!
We came to the edge of the crater and the path dropped steeply down the slope. The terrain was still very lose and so it was a bit like walking down a sand dune, you let your foot slide down until it came to a stop before taking another step. The snow and ice was a different story and you had to take great care trying to place yourself in someone else already made footsteps to ensure you didn't slip and fall the rest of the way (this was all great fun by the way! It sounds a lot scarier than it actually was but you wouldn't want to do this walk in the winter!!)
Once we made it to the bottom the path took us alongside several little emerald lakes, all of which we couldn't see! The lakes were under snow and we could see the faint outline of one or two of them but that was all. Had we have been able to seen them they would have been a bright blue green colour (hence their name) due to the volcanic minerals.
Once we had passed the lakes the track descended gently down to the Ketetahi Hut and as we walked through the snow that was still up to your knees in places, the cloud let up for a second brief period and we were treated to a glorious view of Lake Taupo and I was a very very happy girl! This was why I wanted to do this walk and I was rewarded with a spectacular view!
We arrived at the hut at midday, four hours after we had started walking and we had covered 13 kilometres, with just under six and a half to go. The bus wasn't meeting us until 3:30pm so we knew there was no rush. We ate our lunch on the veranda and we went inside the hut and sat next to the heater. I took my socks and trouser legs off to dry them before stepping back outside into the rain. After 20 minutes they were dry and we were warm and we set off on the final leg.
We reached a forest after half an hour and we knew the end was in sight. The path through the forest seem to go on and on forever though and we wondered if someone was having a laugh somewhere as our feet started to ache and we badly wanted to see the car park. The track passed a lovely little waterfall, which we admired half heartedly and alas 10 minutes later we arrived at our destination 6 hours to the minute after we had started. With a 50 minute break for lunch that's not bad going considering all the brochures advise the walk takes a minimum of six hours to complete excluding stops!
We found a patch of floor under the shelter and settled down to wait for the bus. Thankfully it arrived early and everyone who was due to be collected was already present so we left early and were back at the van at the earlier time of 3:30pm. We changed quickly and had a wash before calling into the visitor centre to purchase a couple of souvenirs and off we went again.
We made our way back to Taupo, this time with me driving to allow Dan to take photographs. It had stopped raining as we drove down to the valley floor but it remained overcast and grey. We stopped at some of the view points along the way and made it to Taupo by 5pm where we found a campsite at the edge of town. On checking in we were told that the adjoining hot springs were half price for camp residents, which seemed like the perfect way to soothe our sore legs so we parked the van, grabbed our swimmers and walked down to the pools where we relaxed, swam, floated and stretched for about an hour in four pools of varying temperatures.
Once we were out and dry we cooked our dinner in the kitchen and watched some of the rugby that was playing before falling fast asleep, blissfully happy after a great day. We vowed to come back and do the crossing in the Summer, just so we could appreciate exactly what we were walking!
Day 95 Tongariro
Our alarm went off at 6:30am and we were up straight away running round getting ready for our first serious walk since Yosemite seven weeks ago. We gulped down breakfast and quickly packed the van up in order to drive less than 500 metres so we could leave it in the Visitor's Centre car park for the duration of the walk. We arrived bang on 7:30 and saw the shuttle waiting on the road. We grabbed our bags and locked up the van and walked the 10 feet to the road to find the bus had gone. A very desperate sinking feeling descended over me as I wondered if we had missed our ride and would have to miss the walk. We frantically rang the shuttle company and on the third attempt someone answered and vowed to try and contact the driver. Just as we hung up we saw the bus travelling back up the road and I cannot describe the relief we both felt! The driver had gone to the other pick up point to collect more walkers and was coming back for us all along. Why she didn't wait when she saw us pull in to the car park I do not know!
We travelled for twenty minutes to the start of the walk. The bus was very quiet but full. Visibility was very poor with low clouds, mist and drizzle but we were told this is how yesterday started and the Sun eventually burnt through by late morning, and it was forecast to do the same today.
We got off the bus and did some warm up stretches before setting off on our 19.4 kilometre hike, leaving before the main bus from Taupo arrived. We walked at a reasonable pace, with no one overtaking us until we came to Soda Springs where we had a quick fuel stop and munched on a banana before tackling Devil's Staircase. Snow was starting to appear and as we climbed higher the ground became more covered and in some places the path was under the white stuff and we had to take care not to slip as it was very icy. Visibility was still very poor and we had one short but sharp shower and a bit of drizzle. About three quarters of the way up the cloud suddenly cleared and we were treated to a small patch of blue sky but the best thing was that we could see where we had come from, but not quite where we were going to. Dan just managed to take a couple of photos before the mist and cloud descended again and if it wasn't for the photographic evidence we would be left wondering if it was a figment of our imagination!
Ever since Vancouver walks will always be graded according to the Grouse Grind, which has to be the steepest climb either of us have ever completed. Devil's staircase was laughable in comparison! It was tough going but nothing like as difficult as G.G. and we only needed to take a couple of breathers before reaching the top and entering the South Crater. By now we had covered seven kilometres in 90 minutes.
Here climbers were given the option of taking one of the side walks up to Mt Ngauruhoe the active volcano, which last erupted in 1977. This track was not marked, was covered in snow and not advisable to climb without ice picks and crampons. We gave that one a miss! We crossed the crater, which was covered in snow and found ourselves at the bottom of another steep climb. This was a bit different as the terrain was loose and unstable and the wind suddenly picked up. It was a bit hairy at times and the intermittent patches of snow and ice certainly didn't help. We had to stop a couple of times and take respite from the wind behind big volcanic rocks. I wouldn't like to be caught up here in a storm. The path took us along a tight ridge with steep drops either side. One sharp gust that took you unaware and ...... However, we made it it to top and onto the Red Crater which was the highest point of the crossing at 1886 metres. On clear days you can see Mount Taranaki to the West, Lake Taupo to the North and the ocean to the East. We could see cloud, cloud and more cloud! This was an actual volcanic crater and as we crossed through the snow we were walking beside another volcano (Mt Tongariro), which we couldn't see! We'd been told that if you sat on the rocks on the crater you would warm your bum from the volcanic activity happening below, if I sat on the crater today my trousers would have been even more soaked than they were!
We came to the edge of the crater and the path dropped steeply down the slope. The terrain was still very lose and so it was a bit like walking down a sand dune, you let your foot slide down until it came to a stop before taking another step. The snow and ice was a different story and you had to take great care trying to place yourself in someone else already made footsteps to ensure you didn't slip and fall the rest of the way (this was all great fun by the way! It sounds a lot scarier than it actually was but you wouldn't want to do this walk in the winter!!)
Once we made it to the bottom the path took us alongside several little emerald lakes, all of which we couldn't see! The lakes were under snow and we could see the faint outline of one or two of them but that was all. Had we have been able to seen them they would have been a bright blue green colour (hence their name) due to the volcanic minerals.
Once we had passed the lakes the track descended gently down to the Ketetahi Hut and as we walked through the snow that was still up to your knees in places, the cloud let up for a second brief period and we were treated to a glorious view of Lake Taupo and I was a very very happy girl! This was why I wanted to do this walk and I was rewarded with a spectacular view!
We arrived at the hut at midday, four hours after we had started walking and we had covered 13 kilometres, with just under six and a half to go. The bus wasn't meeting us until 3:30pm so we knew there was no rush. We ate our lunch on the veranda and we went inside the hut and sat next to the heater. I took my socks and trouser legs off to dry them before stepping back outside into the rain. After 20 minutes they were dry and we were warm and we set off on the final leg.
We reached a forest after half an hour and we knew the end was in sight. The path through the forest seem to go on and on forever though and we wondered if someone was having a laugh somewhere as our feet started to ache and we badly wanted to see the car park. The track passed a lovely little waterfall, which we admired half heartedly and alas 10 minutes later we arrived at our destination 6 hours to the minute after we had started. With a 50 minute break for lunch that's not bad going considering all the brochures advise the walk takes a minimum of six hours to complete excluding stops!
We found a patch of floor under the shelter and settled down to wait for the bus. Thankfully it arrived early and everyone who was due to be collected was already present so we left early and were back at the van at the earlier time of 3:30pm. We changed quickly and had a wash before calling into the visitor centre to purchase a couple of souvenirs and off we went again.
We made our way back to Taupo, this time with me driving to allow Dan to take photographs. It had stopped raining as we drove down to the valley floor but it remained overcast and grey. We stopped at some of the view points along the way and made it to Taupo by 5pm where we found a campsite at the edge of town. On checking in we were told that the adjoining hot springs were half price for camp residents, which seemed like the perfect way to soothe our sore legs so we parked the van, grabbed our swimmers and walked down to the pools where we relaxed, swam, floated and stretched for about an hour in four pools of varying temperatures.
Once we were out and dry we cooked our dinner in the kitchen and watched some of the rugby that was playing before falling fast asleep, blissfully happy after a great day. We vowed to come back and do the crossing in the Summer, just so we could appreciate exactly what we were walking!
Elles xx
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